Nigeria Reopens Embassy in North Korea Post-COVID

Nigeria has reopened its embassy in Pyongyang, North Korea, after a closure lasting nearly three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening makes Nigeria the second African country, after Egypt, to maintain a diplomatic presence in North Korea.

Patrick Imodu Imologhome, Nigeria’s charge d’affaires, announced plans for the embassy’s resumption during a meeting in Pyongyang with Russian Ambassador to North Korea, Alexandr Matsegora. The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang shared this update on its Facebook account last Thursday.

Imologhome, who recently arrived in North Korea, highlighted the embassy’s reopening as a step toward strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with the country. Despite the embassy’s temporary closure, diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and North Korea continued through Nigeria’s mission in Abuja.

North Korea and Nigeria first established diplomatic relations in 1976 and have maintained consistent ties. North Korea’s ambassador to Nigeria, Jon Tong Chol, remained stationed in Abuja throughout the pandemic, facilitating diplomatic exchanges.

The reopening comes as North Korea gradually reopens its borders, which were shut in early 2020 at the height of the pandemic. In August 2023, the country began easing restrictions, allowing foreign diplomats and international representatives to return.

Globally, only a few countries maintained a limited diplomatic presence in Pyongyang during the pandemic, including China, Russia, Vietnam, and Cuba. Nigeria now joins this small group of nations actively re-establishing in-country missions, underscoring the importance of its bilateral relationship with North Korea.

Nigeria’s renewed presence in Pyongyang is expected to bolster diplomatic relations and pave the way for potential economic and cultural collaboration between the two nations.